20090120

Al-Durah lessons lost. By regurgitating unverified 'Pallywood' pictures and statistics to fulfill their mutual agenda (vilify the Jews) is the mainstream media complicit with Hamas in killing Palestinian civilians?

The IDF Spokesperson's Office shares intelligence- map evidence of how Hamas exploits the civilians of the Gaza strip as human shields. Here are two aerial photographs which illustrate how Hamas deploys rocket launchers within densely populated areas in the Gaza strip, next to schools, mosques and medical facilities. Residential buildings are used as arms depots and rigged with explosive charges, without any consideration given to potential civilian casualties.

Hamas views their cause of Jihad to conquer Jerusalem (and ethnically cleanse Jews out of Israel, as they did out of Gaza) for the honor of Allah - as justification for their strategy of provoking civilian casualties for media vilification of Israel. This creates international pressure on Israel to accomodate Palestinians for peace, while exacting hundreds of millions of unaccountable "humanitarian" aid into Palestinian discretionary accounts - appropriable toward advancing the Jihad imperialist offensive.

The media have represented Israel's defensive action - to protect its civilians - out of context. Hamas has foresworn itself to eradicate Jewish self-governance in Israel, and has incited scores of acts of murderous terror - killing more than 1,000 civilians, through such means as the inhumane, kamikaze, suicide-bombings phenomenon. Israeli civilians have been the victim of over 3,000 of Hamas' terrorizing rocket attacks since it disengaged from Gaza over 3 years ago. Southern Israel communities have been terrorized and traumatized by Hamas' guerilla strategy to attack Israeli civilians.

The first few videos demonstrate Hamas' war-crime of initiating attacks from civilian areas to provoke Israeli retaliatory strikes that generate valuable, civilian-casualties for strategic propaganda benefit. Boston University Professor Richard Landes (of The Augean Stables) speaks by telephone with Arutz Sheva's Tovia Singer - regarding the Palestinian "Pallywood" PR policy of fabrication and dishonesty in staging fake images of Palestinian civilian casualties, victimization, and suffering for the intimidated, complicit press. This was exposed and exemplified by the debunked Mohammed al-Durah affaire during the intifada (on the Second Draft.org).

The next few videos demonstrate the utter lack of integrity of Hamas (and its tacit United Nations enablers). Arab YouTubers' hidden videos show the savagery of theocratic Hamas' thuggery towards ordinary Palestinian civilians (which the human-rights hypocrites uttered not a word in protest- simply because that violence was not being done by Jews - even in self-defense). Yes, the media is once again (and not unwittingly) peddling unreliable, Palestinian fakery without (besides the complicit, Palestinian-biased U.N., Amnesty Int'l, and Human Rights Watch) truly independent verification - and the unwitting public is again swallowing Arafat's apostles' "gospel."

I am standing in a queue waiting to buy a train ticket from London to Canterbury. A well-dressed lady standing behind me informs her friend that she ‘can’t wait till Israel disappears off the face of the earth.’ What struck me was not her intense hostility to Israel but the mild-mannered, matter-of-fact tone with which she announced her wish for the annihilation of a nation. It seems that it is okay to condemn and demonize Israel. All of a sudden Israel has become an all-purpose target for a variety of disparate and confused causes. When I ask a group of Pakistani waiters sitting around a table in their restaurant why they ‘hate’ Israel, they casually tell me that it is because Jews are their ‘religion’s enemy.’ Those who are highly educated have their own pet prejudice. One of my young colleagues who teaches media studies in a London-based university was taken aback during a seminar discussion when some of her students insisted that since all the banks are owned by Jews, Israel was responsible for the current global financial crisis.

This shocking anti-Jewish bigotry and violence – according to the Community Security Trust, Anglo-Jewry is in the middle of the worst outbreak of Jew-hatred since records began a quarter of a century ago, with more than 150 incidents across the country recorded since the beginning of the Gaza war -- has erupted in Britain as a direct result of the British media and political class giving the impression that the Israelis are deliberate child-killers. Both politicians and journalists have accepted at face value the Hamas claim that the dead in Gaza were mainly civilians, whereas the Israelis maintain that the vast majority were terrorist operatives. The British elites have accepted all claims of Israeli atrocities as well-founded, even though as far as I can see there is not a shred of evidence for any of them. They have also treated the word of the UN as objective holy writ, even though there are serious grounds for suspecting that the UN are the patsies of Hamas. For example, the UN has been screaming that Israel committed a ‘war crime’ when it shelled its Gaza HQ last Thursday; few in Britain know that Israel’s Prime Minister Olmert, no less, told UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon that the IDF returned fire after terrorists inside the compound fired anti-tank weapons and machine guns during the humanitarian daily pause:

‘We don't want this event to happen again,’ he told Ban, ‘and I don't know if you know, but Hamas attacked from within the UNRWA compound during the humanitarian cease-fire.’

What is so terribly shocking is that in the face of this unprecedented wave of hatred and bigotry, Britain’s senior politicians have been all but silent. They have a duty not merely to condemn the anti-Jewish violence but also to condemn the blood libels about Israel that have been inciting it. Instead, ministers such as International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander have breathed upon the flames by condemning Israel’s behaviour as ‘disproportionate’ and regurgitating as fact the distorted propaganda of Hamas and its patsy, the UN, about the number of civilian casualties.

Repeatedly, Gordon Brown has said, as here, that ‘too many innocent people’ have died in Gaza without acknowledging these crucial points: that while all deaths of innocents in war are to be much regretted, the vast majority of those killed have been Hamas operatives; that Hamas deliberately falsify these figures by classifying terrorists as civilians; and most crucial of all, that Israel has gone to extreme lengths to avoid killing innocent civilians – lengths to which the British and Americans most certainly are not going in Afghanistan. For Brown to avoid stating any of this, and instead to lend credence to the libellous claims about Israel’s behaviour which have incited this wave of anti-Jewish bigotry and violence makes the British Prime Minister effectively an accessory to that bigotry and violence.

Let us not hear any more pieties from PM Gordon Brown about his great love of Israel and the Jewish people. The hypocrisy is simply nauseating.

20090116

"Defiance" - the story of the Bielski Brothers' resistance against Jew-hatred and genocide in Eastern Europe opens worldwide today. The true-story highlights that resisting totalitarianism begins with defying anti-Judaism
A screening panel of (pictured from left to right) the publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, Eric Mika, Defiance director, Edward Zwick, and ntnti-Defamation League Exec. Director, Abraham Foxman, discussed themes in the movie and the ongoing issue of combating Jew-hatred.

In this exclusive interview with Democracy Broadcasting, Defiance director, Edward Zwick, intimates the personal and biblical Jewish influences involved in the structure and making of this movie.

"I think it might have been Leon Wieseltier who led me back to read the Book of Judges or the Book of Joshua to see just how much of a warrior culture this always was. The notion of self-defense is implicit in the David and Goliath story, in the Maccabee story, in the Bar Kochba story. It was all there. I would say that Schindler's List, as powerful as it was, seemed to have continued with a particular iconography of victimization and passivity. That was the iconography with which I had grown up and to which I had grown accustomed. ... The Jews were massacred, if you will, by the Germans not because they didn't resist but because they couldn't resist. ... There is pride to be taken in all the different aspects of people's response to the Holocaust. There was bravery. You read about people in the worst of circumstances who found courage in a thousand different ways. But this is a more explicit way, represented in this film..."

20090115

Radio personality, Dennis Prager, speaks about the Jewish experience in the contemporary world. He discusses the malice of the press, the Arab world, and liberal Jewry (who are never opposed to violence against Arabs - by Arabs - only by America or Israel).

Mr. Prager discusses the Jewish contributions to America's foundational prinicples and character. He addresses the need to overcome legitimate threats from the Islamic world, including Hamas sympathists' repercussions against global Jewry; and the need for vigilance from Jewish institutional and individual leadership.

Presentation was made on behalf of Chabad of Conejo Valley in the greater Los Angeles area, Tuesday 13 Jan 2009.

20090114

On November 21, 2008, Jonathan Pollard entered the 24th year of his life sentence, with no end in sight. Mr. Pollard's life sentence is disproportionate even when compared to the sentences of those who spied for America's enemies, not withstanding those, like Mr. Pollard, convicted for spying for America's allies.

Pres. George Bush's having declined to commute Jonathan Pollard's sentence, must Mr. Pollard suffer a minimum of 4 more years dreaming of clemency from a potentially out-bound President Obama?

Eric Sherby, vice-chair of the Middle-East Law Committee of the American Bar Association, writes a Jerusalem Post OpEd, "The Pollard Case after Bush":

Despite thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of phone calls, e-mails and letters to the White House from Pollard sympathizers, the Bush Administration never even hinted that it might be softening its no-pardon/no-commutation stance as to Pollard.

Now what?

The beginning of a presidency is never "pardon season," and that fact would appear to mean that Jonathan Pollard will be in prison until 2012 at least.

Yet there is one ray of hope. The new American vice president, Joe Biden, had, until early 2008, been a presidential candidate. In Biden's presidential candidate days, while he was trying to court the Jewish vote, he was asked about Jonathan Pollard. Biden responded that Pollard should be given "leniency." What precisely did Biden mean by "leniency" in the case of Jonathan Pollard - who has already been in prison for more than two decades? Apparently he was not asked to elaborate.

Now that the Bush presidency has ended, it is time for the new vice president to explain what he meant by leniency.

How, and by whom, should that question be posed to Vice President Biden? By President Shimon Peres.

The information that Jonathan provided to Israel included Iranian, Iraqi, Libyan and Syrian nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare capabilities - all being developed for use against Israel. He also provided information on ballistic missile development by these countries and information on up-coming terrorist attacks planned against Israeli civilian targets.

Israel was legally entitled to this vital security information according to a 1983 Memorandum of Understanding signed by both countries. But the information was deliberately being withheld from Israel as the result of an illegal intelligence embargo implemented by former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and former Deputy Director of the CIA Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, whose pro-Arab tilt did not jibe with declared US foreign policy.

Instead, successive Governments of Israel have routinely exploited Jonathan's name and his plight, using it as a sweetener to sell unpopular unilateral concessions to the Israeli public. But when crunch time comes, Jonathan is always dropped from every deal and painful unilateral concessions to the enemy are made regardless. (Some examples include the Hebron Accords, the Wye Accords, and most recently the Disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria).

In Washington it is an open secret that Jonathan's sentence is grossly disproportionate and purely political. This was confirmed in a 2002 interview with former Secretary of Defense, the late Caspar Weinberger. Weinberger openly admitted that Jonathan's case was a "minor matter" that had been exaggerated out of all proportion to serve another political agenda. The opening that this admission created to secure Jonathan's release was totally ignored.

Similarly Dennis Ross, the former US Special Envoy to the Middle East, stated in his book "The Missing Peace" (published in 2004) that Jonathan deserves to be freed unconditionally. Nevertheless, writes Ross, Pollard is far too valuable as a bargaining chip against Israel, so he advised the president at Wye not to release him. Still no response from Israel.

In point of fact, Israel has already "paid" for Jonathan's release several times over (including freeing 750 murderers and terrorists with blood on their hands as part of the Wye Accords), but has never bothered to collect its due.

In the 22 years that Jonathan has been in prison, he has repeatedly been subjected to cruel and unusual punishment and severe affliction. The Government of Israel has been informed of each and every episode of mistreatment of its agent but has never once intervened on his behalf, nor has the (Israeli) Government ever protested.

20090113

Despite a weak track-record on understanding the threat of Jihad against the West and Israel, Sen. Barack Obama carried the Jewish American vote against Sen. John McCain, by a 3 to 1 margin.

Since Iran-funded Hamas has revealed its ruthless, 'creating Palestinian civilian casualties aids our Holy War against the Jews' nature, radio commentator Dennis Prager wonders how the will the incoming, leftist/Palestinian-ally President Barack Obama intervene - for or against the global Islamist movement, opposing Western civilization?

Who voted for him - and what were they hoping for? What influence should the secular, American-Jewish Left have over the defense of the land that God bequeathed to the nation of Israel in the Bible?

The 2008 Weblog Awards have selected DemoCast.TV as one of 10 Finalists for Best Video Blog of the Year. This is the second consecutive year that the Weblog Awards have honored DemoCast this way. While the Finalists are determined by a qualitative judging, the final rankings are determined by a quantitative popular vote. Please participate in this year's voting here daily (once every 24-hours) ending Tuesday, Jan 13, 23:59 gmt/ 1:59 pm Pacific time.

In case you missed these, please review some of our original, lesser-viewed video stories of 2008 which demonstrate the breadth of DemoCast's coverage of society's challenges:

20090107

California-based, human-rights activist, Ted Hayes, contends that Muslims and leftists have been at least tricked (perhaps even 'possessed by an evil spirit' in stoking enmity against Jewish people - which comprises an insidious, global, "disproportionate response."

In other words, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have made an official tactic out of using civilians as human shields and out of shooting at Israel as civilians. They are proud that the number of apparent (and real) civilian casualties has increased in recent days.

Their war policy is to violate the Geneva Conventions brazenly and officially. Their aim is to maximize the number of civilians killed in Gaza.

The video shows this policy in action. If Israel manages to hit the rocket shooters, they get counted as "civilians," and any bystanders on that street who get killed are icing on the cake for Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Since the dead are "martyrs" anyway, they can justify this sick and cynical use of their own people as just another shortcut to Paradise, and each dead civilian is a victory for them, each dead body a literal prize to be photographed and shown off ad infinitum on Arab websites and TV networks.

We've always known this, but they have not usually been as forthcoming about it as this article indicates.

The Arab-Israeli conflict induces strong passions, and the line that separates legitimate disapproval of Israel from anti-Semitism may not always be obvious. But its's safe to assume the line has been crossed when you hear someone urging Jews "back to the ovens."

The Danish website Snaphanen posted a photo the other day of a pamphlet being distributed in Copenhagen's City Hall Square. On one side it proclaimed: "Never Peace With Israel!" and "Kill Israel's People!" On the other side: "Kill Jewish people evry where in ther world!" The leaflet's spelling left something to be desired, but its message of genocidal anti-Semitism couldn't have been clearer.

Likewise the message in Amsterdam on Saturday, where the crowd at an anti-Israel rally repeatedly chanted, "Hamas! Hamas! Jews to the gas." And the message in Belgium, where pro-Hamas demonstrators torched Israeli flags, burned a public menorah, and painted swastikas on Jewish-owned shops.

Only marginally less vile is the message that has been trumpeted at demonstrations from Boston to Los Angeles(see video) to Vancouver: "Palestine will be free/ From the river to the sea" - a restatement in rhyme of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for Israel to be "wiped from the map."

Let's say it for the thousand-and-first time: Every negative comment about Israel is not an expression of bigotry. Israel is no more immune to criticism than any other country. But it takes willful blindness not to see that anti-Zionism today - opposition to the existence of Israel, rejection of the idea that the Jewish people are entitled to a state - is merely the old wine of anti-Semitism in its newest bottle.

The claim that anti-Zionism isn't bigotry would be preposterous in any other context. Imagine someone vehemently asserting that Ireland has no right to exist, that Irish nationalism is racism, and that those who murder Irishmen are actually victims deserving the world's sympathy. Who would take his fulminations for anything but anti-Irish bigotry? Or believe him if he said that he harbors no prejudice against the Irish?

By the same token, those who demonize and delegitimize Israel, who say the world would be better off without it, who hold it to standards of perfection no other country is held to, who extol or commiserate with its mortal enemies, who liken it to Nazi Germany and apartheid South Africa, who make it the scapegoat not only for crimes it hasn't committed, but for those of which it is a victim - yes, such people are anti-Semitic, whether they acknowledge it or not.

20090106

Several hundred Americans welcomed the New Year by turning-out to challenge subversive agitation at the 'anti-Israel / pro-Palestine' demonstration outside the Israeli Embassy in Los Angeles on Friday, January 2nd.

Longtime human-rights activist, Ted Hayes, Jr., who is African-American, affirms that global, neo-Communist / Islamist axis' anti-Israel rallies are organized to destabilize public support for combating enemies of freedom (i.e., their autocratic, revolutionary-movements) through the propaganda tactic of demonizing freedom-crusaders, Israel and America. The isolation and conquest of the Judeo-Christian State of Israel would represent a victory for the enemies of democracy, advancing the power shift towards themselves - Communism and philo-Islamism globally.

Entire video plays only 9 min 19 sec. (not 11:40)

In this video news report, a variety of patriotic Christian and Jewish-Americans defy the Israel-bashers' vitriol to explain that Israel is allied with America in fighting the global 'War Against Islamic Terror.' Consistent with defending human liberties, they feel that the West should support Israel's self-defensive initiative, and disregard the 'disproportionate-response' media-propaganda aimed at pre-empting theo-terrorist, Hamas-regime's defeat.

There is a poignant interview with Mrs. Cindy Freeman-Thompson, the proud mother of American girl, Katie Freeman, 22, of Calabasas who enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces ("IDF") to help defend freedom for the world. Katie serves as an Army bomb-sniffing-dog handler to detect dangerous explosives. (4:35 point).

She introduces us to (6:30 point) Dylan Coren, 18, son of an American father and an Israeli-American mother, currently planning to leave his comfort and safety in America to join the Israeli commandos.

His mission: "To protect Israel, to protect the Jewish people. I love Israel- it's the homeland for the Jews. We can always be there - so the Holocaust will never happen again - or nothing like that. Judaism- and the continuation of it. I'm prepared to fight - and die - for Israel."

"The rockets they're sending into Israel, all this terrorism ... We (Jews) need to stick-up for ourselves. We need to say, 'No more ... no more. No more terrorists, no more killing Israeli children, no more killing Israeli anybody. It's enough of it. It's time to defend ourselves."

20090105

An unholy alliance between Islamists and Communist/Marxist groups demonstrated their disdain for democracy in a raucus, hate-filled demonstration before the Israeli Embassy in Los Angeles on Friday evening, 2 January 2009. What was called to be a protest against Israeli challenges to Hamas' terror leadership and infrastructure - actually manifested as an anti-American, anti-Semitic demonstration of hate.

Under their banners of swastikas, unruly Islamist-supremacists ascended traffic light poles to raise the flags of terrorist movements, Hamas & Hezbollah flags over American streets, thumbing their noses in defiance of the formidable Los Angeles Police Department commands to take-them down and descend.

As the counter-jihad demonstration across Wilshire Boulevard dissipated, an expeditious Islamist gang crossed over to assert primacy over the opposing turf and counter-rally'ers. But a vigilant, few remaining Jewish-Americans stood boldly against their provocations. Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, "Melrose" Larry Green (with little protection beyond a couple from Beitar) vociferously denounced the hate-filled antagonists, defiantly mocking their rabid anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism.

Note at the 1 1/2 minute point, the Muslims' provocative foray onto the Jewish side of the street.

This occurred after the press from the mainstream media departed. Only DemoCast.TV news video documented the events- another DemoCast.TV video exclusive.

“The idea that events in the Middle East can trigger this kind of rampage is something that the community, police and politicians need to now consider with the utmost urgency." (London's Jewish Chronicle)